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Xinyiquan and Xingyiquan |
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In most of the materials both
styles of
Xinyiquan (Hsin-I Chuan) and
Xingyiquan (Hsing-I Chuan) are called by the latter name. This is
mainly because Xingyiquan is by far more popular and influencial as
well as because Xinyiquan for a long time has been considered lost
art.
Xinyiquan (literally Mind-Intent Boxing) is said to have been created
by Yue Fei, general, patriot and national hero who lived in Song
dynasty (12th century). However historical records point at Ji
Longfeng (Ji Jike) living in 17th century as the one who created the
art on the basis of his experience in spear fighting. The art was
passed to Ma Xueli, who transmitted it to moslem communities in Henan
province and became the main self-defence mean Islam followers in
China, kept in secret and not passed to people of other nationalities
until 1930s. Another branch was passed to Dai clan in Shanxi province,
who developed it into a very sophisticated and internalized art. Li
Laoneng learnt from Dai clan in 19th century and taught in both Shanxi
and Hebei provinces. It was Li and his students who made the art very
popular. From their times the art changed its name into Xingyiquan
(literally Shape-Intent Boxing) and was completely reformed into a
style differing a lot from Xinyiquan. It was Xingyiquan that Yi Quan
(Intent Boxing) was based on when created by Wang Xiangzhai.
There is other arts closely related to Xinyiquan. One is Shaolin
Xinyiba, the most treasured of all Shaolin styles, while he other is
called Jin Family Gongfu (Skill) and is still practiced by a small
number of practitioners in Sichuan province.
Technically Xinyi and Xingyi share common feature of straight line
drills, with direct and effective movements. The difference between
styles lies in basic methods: Xinyi is based on Dantian methods,
practised in movement, while Xingyi stresses importance of still
standing in San Ti stance.
Of
all internal arts Xinyiquan and Xingyiquan were considered those that
could give the fighting skill in shortest time due to its focus on
Obvious Power during the first years of practice. As Chinese saying
goes "Taiji does not leave practice hall for ten years, while Xinyi
kills in one year".
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The Secret of Old Three Fists -
Brief Overview of the Oldest Methods of Xinyi and Xingyi -
Three Fists - Drilling, Wrapping and Scissors - are almost unknown part of
Xinyi and Xingyi curriculum. While there are clear records of Three Fists in
boxing manuals, because of conservative approach of the teachers (who
considered Three Fists as "Three Treasures") very few learnt them and even
those are reluctant to pass them further. Some teachers who never had the
opportunity to learn Three Fists decided to "re-create" them. Hence the
original concept of Three Fists as three specific fist techniques (as taught
within Dai clan who created them) has changed and evolved into more
abstract/general concepts of multidirectional power or certain power
storing/releasing process. The article discusses all main ideas of Three Fists
as taught within Dai Family Xinyi, Xingyi, Yi Quan and Henan Xinyi Liuhe Quan.
Translations of old and modern Chinese texts - including parts of very rare
"Dai Family Xinyi Boxing Manual" - accompany the article. This is first
article discussing Three Fists ever published.
Interview with Mr.
Di Guoyong, Xingyiquan expert from Beijing and president of
Beijing Xingyiquan Research Association - Mr. Di
Guoyong is not only famous for his skill in Xingyiquan, but also in Chuo Jiao
Fanzi Boxing and Liang Style Baguazhang, arts which he learnt from Wu Binlou
and Li Ziming. In the interview Mr Di talks about his own martial arts practice, theory of
Xingyiquan, weapons, relations between Xingyiquan and traditional Chinese
Medicine etc. The interview is supplemented with detailed notes about Shang
Yunxiang and his "New Style" of Hebei Xingyiquan, Wu Binlou and Chuo Jiao
Fanzi Boxing as well as with excerpts from Sun Lutang's "The True Essence of
Boxing", for the first time translated into English.
Guo Weihan - The Missing Link in the History of Xingyiquan Found? -
This is one of the very first articles on one of the almost unknown branches of Xinyiquan practiced in Shanxi Province countryside ever published (one short
note appeared in Chinese "Wuhun" magazine). For the first time Guo
Weihan's name was mentioned several years ago by Dai style Xinyiquan
practitioners, who denied that Li Laoneng learnt from Dai clan and claimed Guo
was Li's teacher. This claim resulted in a hot discussion among Chinese Xinyi
and Xingyi practitioners, but the question who was Li's teacher has not been
definitively answered. The importance of the question lies not only in
searching for the historical truth about the Li Laoneng's lineage, but also in
explaining the obvious differences between Dai Family Xinyi and Xingyiquan.
These differences are usually attributed either to the fact that Li probably
did not receive full transmission of the art or to the changes he made to make
the art more efficient. My visit in Guo Weihan's home village in May 2001 was the first
research held by a foreigner there.
Xinyi Liuhe Quan - the secret art of Chinese Muslims - Part One
- Brief History - Henan Xinyi Liuhe Quan
("Mind-Intention and Six Harmonies Boxing"), also known as Moslem
Xingyi or Ten Animals Xingyi in the West, for more than two centuries was
passed secretly among Chinese Moslems of Hui nationality. In the 20s and 30s
of this century the style came out into light after people like Lu
Song'gao, Sun Shaopu and others brought it from Henan's conutryside to
Shanghai, the largest and most modern city in China, and started to teach
non-Moslems. It was at that time when Xinyi Liuhe Quan became known as the
most cruel of all Chinese martial arts. Almost unknown in the West the style
is worth further research because of its close relations with Dai Family
Xinyi and Xingyiquan. It is said to have preserved the features of early
Xinyiquan as practiced in 17th and 18th centuries.
Classical Texts on Xingyiquan - Excerpts from "Five Elements
Essentials of Yue's Intention Boxing - originally written at the beginning of this
century by Li Cunyi, called "Single Broadsword Li" for his
exquisite broadsword skills, were revised and published in 1934 by Li's
student, Dong Xiusheng. In this article you will not only find translations
(for the first time into language other than Chinese) of four chapters from
the book, which can be useful for Xingyi and other martial arts
practitioners, but also biographies of Li Cunyi and Dong Xiusheng. Please
not that rhymed formulas for Five Elements Fists are different than those in
Sun Lutang's "The Study of Xingyiquan". This could be another
proof for thesis that most of Xingyiquan boxing manuals (Quan Pu) were
written not earlier than in the beginning of this century and were not, as
some claim, passed to Li Laoneng by his teacher.
Dai Family Xinyiquan - The Origins and Development
- This article
introduces the art Xingyiquan derives from - Dai Family Xinyiquan. This is for sure the
very first introduction to this style in English. Dai Family Boxing is a very rare martial
art practiced by very few people in one remote part of Shanxi Province. The first articles
revealing certain aspects of this jealously protected art were published about 1984 and
only since that time it started to develop slowly. However, its practitioners are still
very reluctant to show the art to outsiders. When I visited them for the first time in
1994 (the area was closed to foreigners before), it took me quite a time to be permitted
to take pictures but they disagreed to be video taped.
Ode to Che Style Xingyiquan - is my translation of a modern piece, an
ode, which in a poetic form introduces another art coming from Shanxi Province, Che Style
Xingyiquan. Although not as secret as Dai Family Boxing, this style and its exponents are
definitively much less known then their Hebei Province Xingyi brother. This article should
allow Xingyi practitioners to see the difference between two branches. The author of the
"Ode", prof. Che Xiangqian, is a former president of Taigu Xingyiquan
Association (Taigu in Shanxi Province is, along with Shen County in Hebei, one of two
centers of traditional Xingyiquan in China).
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